Fine-grading machine



R. D. BAKER FINE GRADING MACHINE 1s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 28,. 1927 3 & 3 I

1?,597/ a/%er July 1, 1930. R. D. BAKER 3,768,657

FINE GRADING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1927 13 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 1, 1930.

R. D. BAKER FINE GRADING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28. 1927 13 Sheets-Sh eet 3 R. D. BAKER FINE GRADING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1927 13 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 1, 1930. R.-D.BAKER w 1,768,657

FI NE GRADING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jami/3w R E K A B n R FINE GRADING MACHINE v 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 28, 1927 July 1, 1930. R. D. BAKER FINE GRADING MACHINE Filed Nov; #8. 1927 1s Sheets-Sheet 7 mum w igk July 1, 1930.

R. D. BAKER FINE GRADING MACHINE- Filed Nov. 28, 1927 L3 Sheets-Sheet 8 G G 1 Q I 1 20 u M A July 1, 1930.

R. D. BAKER FINE GRADING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28. 1927 13 Sheets-Sheet 9 R. D. BAKER FINE GRADING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28,. 1927 13 She ets-Sheat 1O oooo 6 0G fmfenm R. D. BAKER FINE GRADING. MACHINE Filed Nov. 28. 1927 13 Sheets-Shet 11 l 1 I 0mg July 1, 1930. R. D. BAKER 1,768, 57

FINE GRADING MACHINE Filed NOV. 28, 1927 13 Sheets-Sheet l2 y 1, 1930. RD. BAKE R 1,768,57

FINE GRADING MACHINE Filed Nov. 28, 1927 13 Sheets-Sheet side-edge portions Patented July 1', 1930 UNITED STATES VNPATYENT orrlcn ROBERT D. BAKER, 0F BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR' T0 BLAW-KNOX. COM- PANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY FINE-GRADING macnmn Application filed November 28, 1927. Serial No. 286,087.

This invention relates toimprovements in.

road building machines of the type known as fine graders which are used for the purpose of producing an accurate subgrade surface upon which concrete or other paving materials are deposited to produce a paved road or highway.

The present day practice prevailing in the art of paving highways consists in first rough-grading the road bed, this being usually accomplished by means of ordinary plows. Upon completion of the rough-grading which is intended to. remove all earth in .1 excess of from about one-half to two inches in depth above the ultimate fine-gradeplane, the side-form supporting surfaces are. ro-

dnced and the side-forms mounted in p ace thereon. The surface supporting the' sideforms may be said to constitute the extreme of the ultimate fine-grade, said rails serving to support and guide the fine-grade scrapers orothermachines which precede the concrete finishing machines, the present machine machine to be carried and guided by said rails or forms. As the treadsurfaces of the latter are necessarily substantiall parallel with the plane of the ultimate ne-grade,

. they determine'the accuracy of the latter.

ing

The machine illustrated in the accompanydrawings and hereinafter fully described constitutes an improvement upon the machine illustrated and described in my oowhich has, since the application,

pending application, Serial No. 753,560, resulted in the issue of Letters Patent No. 1,653,333, dated December 20, 1927, and is equally adapted to carry out the'method defined in and by certain claims of the said Letters Patent. 7 Y

The main objects which: are adjustable bodily substantially vertically of the plane of the ultimate finegrade and present earth cutting edges which reciprocate substantially entirely within the earth cutting plane which-may be coincident with or above thatof the ultimate fine-grade depending upon'the depth and'nature of the being exemplary of the first filing of the instant well and even better of the present invention are, first, to provide earth cutting means.

soil to be removed following the rough-grading above referred to, and, second, todivide the earth cutting elements of the machine into a plurality'of parts of which alternate portions reciprocate simultaneously in oppo site directions to thereb decrease resistance to progress of the machme longitudinally of the road-bed.

Other objects of the inventionrelate to details of construction which are of minor importance and will be well understood from the following specification.

A suitable embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figures 1 and .1 constitute a plan view of a.

machine constructed in accordance with the I invention.

Figs. 2 elevation of the said machine.

Fig. 3 is a side and 2 together' constitute a front elevation looking at the right hand end with respect to facing the front of the machine or the left hand end when facing the rearof the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the machine on the lined-4 of Fig. 1.5

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Flg.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4. I

g 4 showing i the same parts 1n respectively different positions.

so v

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on the 'line'7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a' fragmentary detail section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7. a

,Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-'9 of Fig. 1-. Fig. 10 is a section on Fig-1". Fig. 2-1. is a section on the line 1,1-11 ofI Fig.1. Fig. 12 is a fragmentaryplan view of one the line 10-10 of of the'shovel elements of the machine, shown partly in section. I

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine showing rotary means forefi'ect- P ing delivery of earthto the conveyor mecha msm. A 4 Fig.- 14 is a transverse section on the line ,1 1-14 ofFig.'13. v The machine comprises a suitable frame graded therebetween. This fine-grade usu-'- work. which is carried upon flanged wheels 1 and 2 adapted to travel upon the side-forms or. side-rails 3 of the roadway to be fineof these two portions constituting the deepest portions of the finished fine-grade. The sideform supporting grade is horizontal and meets the sloping side portions of the ultimate fine-grade at the inner lowerl-corn'ers of the said side-forms. t

Suitably mounted on said frame'is the engine 4, preferably of the internal combustion type which, by. means of suitable gearing controlled by suitable clutches, maybeassociated with and dissociated from the several operative mechanisms included in the machine. These mechanisms include the follow- First. Drums and cables for effecting forward travel of themachine. v

Second. Means for driving the-wheels 1 for effecting reverse travel of the-machine:

Third. The earth cutting mechanism.

ing earth beyond one side edge of the roadbed.

Fifth. Mechanism for throwing "loose earth from the earth cutting devices into. the

conveyor mechanism. This earth throwing.

is preferably effected by what is termed hoemechanism, the latter, per se, constituting no part of the present invention, the same being particularly illustrated and described in'the 1 application of Alfred W. French, Serial No. 303,320, filed the 31st "day of August, 1928, said hoe-mechanism being herein illustrated and described in its particular adaptation to the present machine as a desirable and preferable part thereof as distinguished from the rotary mechanism of my invention shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

The engine shaft .4 (Fig. 1 is associated with and disassociated from a spur-pinion 8 thereon by means of a suitable clutch 6 controlled by the lever 7. i The spur-pinion 8 meshes with the spur-gear 9 on ashaft 10. The latter is, by means of gears 11 and 12, associated with the shaft 13 extending over the entire width of the frame (Figs. 1 and "1 EIldr2 and 2 Shaft 10 carries a sprocket 5 which is geared by means of chain 5 to sprocket 5 on shaft 5."

' spective pairs of eccentrics 14 with the sev- The shaft carries aseries of pairs of eccentrics 14, alternate pairs being disposed in diametrically opposite relation to each 'other. Pitmen or eccentric rods 15 associate the reeral sections of the shovel'or earth cutting member 16, each of said sections being carried by suitable framin disposed at the lower ends of the pairs of osci latinglevers 17.. The

latter are pivotally mounted by means of pins 18 on the lower ends of vertically adjustable sleeves 19 disposed in suitable guides or'bearings 20 carried by the machine frame. Each sleeve 19 is internally threaded to engage a screw-shaft 21 (Fig.7) on which is an annular collar 22 held against vertical move-- ment inthe upper end portion of the bearing .20.,. Twoof said shafts 21 are equipped at their upper ends with hand wheels and all are equipped just above the bearing 20 with one or more sprocket wheels 23 so that, by

means of sprocket chains -24, each of the hand wheel actuated shafts 22 is associated with three shafts 21 for simultaneously adjusting two shovel sections at one side of the ma imparted to them, the oscillation of the serrated shovel edges being in an arcuate'plane substantially tangential to the horizontal .planeconstituting substantially the ultimate fine-grade plane, the movement of said serrated cutting edges being from a vertical radius of said are intersectin said fine rade Fourth. Conveyor mechanism for remov-.

, stantially theultimate fine-grade plane is followed by rolling to compact the earth and produce a smooth surface upon which the concrete is subsequently deposited. Hence, the plane of travel of the cutting-edges'of the shovel elements is actuallyslightly above the ultimate fine-grade plane.

To the rear of the shovel elements or members 16 there is provideda trough 25 to receive the earth loosened by said members and disposed, at least in part, upon the same.- The sides of said trough v25 present opposed channeled gui'deways 26 at the bottom of each of which is a rail 2? upon'whieh the idle rolls 28 travehsaid rolls-28 being prevented from moving appreciably upwardly by the top walls of said guideways. The said rolls 28 constitute "portions of sprocket chains 29 which carry the scraperbladcs 3O traveling longitudinally of the trough 25; The latter projects at its ends beyond the side-forms 3 so the earth deposited insaid trough will be moved by the blades 30 beyond said sideforms. Between the trough 25 and the adj ac'ent rear edges of the shovel members 16, I provide flexible connecting or bridge elements- .31 (Fig. 4). The sprocket chains 29 areftrained over sprockets 32,33 and 34 at each side of the machine, the association of the said sprockets with the power plant being such that the direction of travel of the'scraper 30 may be resaid trough.

versed, this being accomplished by suitable manually operable clutches.

The earth deliveredfrom either end of the trough is spread by means of the inclined spreader blade 35. which is detachably secured to either side of the machine frame. i

The angle of inclination of the shovel blades is, in the instant case because-of the necessity for making the machine as compact and light as possible,- so stee that the loosened earth will not, except w en of a certain "character and condition, move over the same into the trough 25 and it has, therefore, been found necessary to provide means for forcing or projectingsaid loosened earth over the shovel blades and bridge elements 31 into To accomplish this, hoe-blades 36 are provided, each of which is pivotally mounted on collars 37 of a pair of reciprocable rocking plungers or pitmen 38 which, at one end, are pivotally secured to the arms of cranks 39 of shafts 40 carried in the bearings of hangers 41 of the frame, said plungers or pitmen being slidably supported between their ends in bearings 42 pivotally mounted in the forked lower end ofcollars 43 slidably mounted on the vertical stud-shafts 44 and held at the lower limits of their movement means of springs 45. Pivotally secured at one end each to frame membersof the hoeblades 36 above their pivotal connections With the collars 37, are rods 46 which, at their other ends, pass loosely through openings 47 in the collars 43. The adjustable nuts 48 and 49 constituting collars disposed on the inner ends of said rods 46 behind saidcollars 43, serve to limit the reciprocable movement of said rods in one direction so that upon forward or thrust movement of the plungers 38, the hoeblades 36 will be swung on their pivots'to extend substantially perpendicularly to the said I 38, the collars 50 plungers 38 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The stroke of the plungers 38 is greater than the length of the rods 46 between the collars 48 and similar adjustable nuts or collars 50 mounted upon the other end portions of said rods so that during the concluding portion of the reverse or pull stroke of the plungers will strike the collars 4 3 and turn said hoe-blades 36; to' the position Fig. 5, this pivotal movement of the hoe-blades 36 being so quick as to effect projection or throwing such quick pivotal movement of said blades.- It will be noted that at the moment of the quick pivotal movement the hoe-blades are dISPOSBd'fit substantially the lowest point in their movement where their lower edges will engage the ridge of the earth pile usually collected above the shovel edges. As previously stated, this hoe mechanism is the invention of A. W. French.

One of said shafts 40 is provided for each of earthas distinguishedfrom the dragglng move ment imparted thereto prior to wound upon the same and of the shovel blade sections and each shaft '40 is equipped at opposite ends with said 51 on said shafts cranks 39, the spur gears gears 52 on the 40 meshing with the spur shaft 5. 3

Referring now to'Figs. 1 and 1, it will "be seen that the shafts of the sprockets 33 carry sprockets 53 geared to sprockets on the shafts 54 by means of the chains 55. The shafts 54 are geared by means of bevel gears .56 and 57 to a shaft 58 which is equipped with 60 on the shaft 13.

adapted for cooperation with clutch members 61 on said shaft. The clutch members 61 of the two shafts.58 at opposite 7 sides of the machine are connected by means of the rod 62 which is connected with the operating lever 62 so that when one of said clutch members 61 is engaged with the companion member on the gear 57, the other member 61 is disengaged so that only one of said'shafts 58 can be driven, at one side of the machine 'is driven the sprocket chains 29 and blades 30 will be moved in one direction whereas when the other shaft 58 is driven, this movement of the chains 29 and scrapers 30 Wlll be reversed.

the machine is effected 63 and cables 64 secured at one end thereto, the other ends of said secured to stakes driven into the earth atpoints in ad-v'anceof the machine. The drums 63 are rigid with shafts 65 each of which carries a large spur-gear 66 meshing with a spur-pinion 67 on a shaft 68 which is geared by means of sprocket chain 69, to the shaft 13.

Forward travel of by means of the drums The shafts 68 are geared to the front wheels 2 by means of sprocket chains 70 through .which said wheels 2 are driven to effect reverse travel of the machine. Clutch members 71 and 72 on the shaft 68 are arranged so that when the member 71 engages the comanion member 73 on spur-pinion 67 the drum 63 will be rotated to effect forward travel of the machine, the clutch members 72 being then inneutral position, whereas when said members 72 are engaged'with companionclutch members 74 rigid with the sprocket pinions'on the shafts 68 over which the chain 70 is trained, the drums will be idle and the machine will be caused to travel backward.

Both said members 71 and 72 may be held in neutral positions so that the machine will not travel 1n either direction. The members 71 and 72 at each side of pled to move in unison 75 and clutch levers the machine are coudrums may be momentarily rotated to procable s being I by means of therods 76 associated therewith. This association is such that said levers 76 If the shaft 58 ject one side of the machine in order to properly round curves in, the side-forms or cause the-machine frame to extend at right angles to the side-forms in case itshall have become otherwise disposed as frequently hap- )BDS.

l It'is desirable that, upon throwing the clutch members 7-1'and 72 into neutral position, the drums 63 should be held against such free rotation as willpermit slacking of the cables 64 and to this end brackets77 are provided for said drums. a

It is not objectionable that the shovel blades shall be keptin constant motion during'both travel and idling of the machine frame and it is generall desirable that the earth conve ing. mechanlsmand hoe-blades be kept-1n operation when the machine frame is not traveling especially when a deepcut is being effected as, in such event, the earth may accumulate faster than the conveyor can re- It is then necessary to interrupt move it. travel of the machlne wh lepermitting the hoe-blades and conveyor mechanism to operate untilloosened accumulated earth has been cleared away, whereupon travel is continued untila further ,accumulat1on of, loose earth necessltates another interruption of "travel.

.The'clutch lever 7 obviously is the main controllinglever since it controls thev'association of the engine shaft with the drive shaft 13 from which all of the several mechanisms are driven as above described.

InFigs. '13 and 14 I have illustrated means of my 'own invention fdr causing accumulated loose earth -to be removed toward and into the conveyor; mechanismwhich, however, does not operate quiteas efficiently as the hoe- I mechanism above described though operat- -1ng sufficiently well to be usable in place" of saidhoe-mechanism.

Mysaid mechanismas applied to the ma.-

' chine above described, comprises shafts 77 -jou rnalled in bearings7 8 mounted in brack- 'ets 79 integral with the-'vertically adjustable members 19in which the pivot ins 18 for the lever-$ .17 'are mounted,'each o the shafts 77 being carried by a pair of simultaneousl ad- 'justable members. 19. Each ofsaid s afts carries a plurality of paddle blades 80 mounted..up0n the arms 81. of slegves 82 rigidly ---mounted on. the shafts 77, said paddle blades fbeing' rotated in a direction to cause them to move earth accumulated upon the front portions of the shovel blades above a certain level towardthe conveyor trough 25.

, Each shaft is equipped atone end with a sprocket wheel 83 an 1s geared-by means of a sprocketchain ,84 trained over the wheel 83 with a shaft 85'correspondin .to theshafts 4Q but rotating in the opposite irection from 'the latter, 'eachof said shafts 85' bein pro vided with a sprocket 86 over whic the sprocket chain 84 is trained and with. a

sprocket 87 over which the sprocketrchain 88 is trained, the latter being also trained I over a sprocket 89 on the shaft 5. I

It will be noted that each shovel blade is 'mounted upon the lower ends of two. of the rocking levers 17 and that there is a free spaeebetween levers 17 at the opposed end' portions of adjacent shovel blades. To prevent'accumulation of earth in this'space and the clogging thereof in the eventthat' the earth is moist or lumpy as in the case of dry clay and the like, each shaft is preferably provided with a'hub member 90'at one end I which is-equipped with arms 91 and blades 92 operating in said space. The sprocket chains 84' are also provided with "blades 93 which will serve to move earth from the. said free space. a

I claim as my invention:

1.- A fine-grading machine including earth cutting devices, levers for operating the same, bearings associated with said levers between their, ends, and reciprocable devices associated with said levers for oscillating the means for oscillating said levers, and earth levers pivotally associated with the machine frame between their ends, power actuated cutting blades mounted upon the lower ends ofsaidlevers.

4. A fine-grading machine including earth cutting d vices, levers for operating the same,

bearings associated with 'saidlevers between their ends, manually operable means associated with said bearings for raisin and lowering the same, and reciprocable evices assofci'ated with said levers for oscillating the same. I

5. A fine-gradingmachine including a plurality of substantially. vertically disposed levers pivotally associated with the machine frame between their ends, power actuated means for oscillating said levers, earth cuttin bladesmounted upon the lower ends of sai levers, and manually operable meansfor and lowering said levers.

raising 6. fine-gradmg machine includin acarriage, travel tiereof, a plurality lower endsof said levers, power actuated means for oscillating said levers, and means for raising andloweringsaid levers to thereby vaiy t e plane'of operationofthe earth cutting devices relatively to the plane of travel of the carriage:

7. A. fine-grading machine including a carower driven means for e ecting of levers pivot- 5) all mo 'mted on said (carriage between their .en s, earth cutting devices mounted. upon the riage, power driven means for effecting ally of and projecting beyond the sides of the travel thereof, earth cutting blades, and means for imparting to said blades a forward and back movement in an approximate plane substantially parallel with the plane of travel of the carriage.

8. A fine-grading machine including a carriage adapted for travel longitudinally of a roadway to be paved, earth cutting blades associated w th said carriage, and mechanism for imparting a forward and back movement of said blades, the forward movement theremechanism,

earth conveying back movement of said blades,

of being in the direction of travel of, the carriage.

9. A fine-gradlng machine including a car'- riage adapted for travel longitudinally of a' roadway to be paved, inclined earth cutting blades associated with said'carriage, and mechanism for imparting a movement thereof being in the directionof travel of the carriage, earth conveying mechanism disposed behind and'below the rear raised edges of said blades, and flexible material connecting the rear edges of the said 10. A fine-grading machine including a carriage adapted for travel longitudinally of a roadway to be paved, earth conveying mechanism'on said carriage for delivering earth to one side of the-said roadway, shovel blades disposed in advance of said conveying mechanism for imparting movement to said shovel blad'es,-and mechanism associated with said blades and said conveying mechanism for delivering loosened earth to the latter.

11. In a fine-grading machine, a carriage, mechanism thereon ar-. ranged to deliver earth beyond one side of said carriage, earth cutting mechanism on said carriage, mechanism associated with the earth cutting and conveying mechanisms for feeding earth loosened by the former intoithe latter, a single engine common to all of said mechanisms and for efi'ecting travel of the carriage, and manually controlled gearing between the engine and the earth cutting, feeding and conveying mechanisms for controlling operation thereof, and'manually controlled gearing between the engine and carriage for controlling travel of the latter.

' 12. In a fine-grading machine, a carriage,

' earth conveying mechanism thereon ars said carriage,

rangedtodeliver earth beyond one side of earth cutting blades, mechanism for imparting movement to said blades and said conveying mechanism for transferring loosened earth. from'the former o. the latter, a source of power, and manually controlled gear sets controlling the operation of said mechanisms and travel of the carriage,

g respectively.

machine comprising a 13. A fine-grading extending latercarriage, a conveyor trough scraper blades arranged for travel and above said trough, earth forward and v the forward mounted upon the pivotally associated between its en carriage, a conveyor chain equipped w th cutting mecha nism o-nsaid'carriage'in advance of said trough, mechanism for transferringloosened earth from said cutting mechanism tosaid trough, a source of power common to the several mechanisms, and manually controlled gearing between the latter and the source of power mechanisms.

'. 14. A fine-grading machine comprising a carriage, a conveyor trough extending laterally of a'nd projecting beyond the si es of the carriage,

scraper blades arranged for nism onsaid carriage in advance of trough, mechanism for transferring loosened earth from said cutting mechanism to said trough,"a source of power common to the through for controlling the operation of said a conveyor-chain equipped with I travel through and above said trough, earth cutting mechasaid several mechanisms, and manually controlled gearing between the latter and the source of power-for controlling the operationof said mechanisms, said gearing. including means permitting the travel of t reversed. v

15. In a fine-grading machine, a carriage,-

e chain to a series of vertically adjustable bearings thereon, manuallyoperable means for raising and lowering said bearings,

levers each pivotally associated between its ends with a series of vertically one of. said bearings, earth cutting blades adjustable bearings thereon, manually operable means for raising and lowering said bearings, pivotally associated between'its en one of said bearings,

lower ends of said bearings,..earth conveying mechanism disposed behind said earth cutting blades, mechanism associated with the said bladesand the conveying mechanism for delivering earth to the latter, an engine, a counter-shaft geared thereto common to said mechanisms and said levers for simultaneously actuating the same. 7

17. In a fine-grading machine,

levers each ds' with a" carriage,

a series of vertically adjustable bearingsthereon, manually operable means forraising and lowering said bearings, levers each ds with one of said bearings, earth cutting blades mounted upon ings, earth conveyingmechanism disposed behind said earth cutting blades, mechanism associated with the said blades and the coneart-h cutting blades the lower ends of .said bear-' loosened veying mechanism for delivering loosened earth to the latter, mechanism for propellin the carriage, an engine, and a counter-sha geared thereto commont'o all of said mechanisms and said levers for simultaneously actuating the same.

ROBERT D. BAKER. 1 

